Applying The Fabric Stash Rules

My last post was about my fabric stash rules. This one is about how they actually work for me and how I have actually applied my rules (and enabled myself to buy more fabric, pshaw).

I made a few recent fabric purchases, here's how I justified them according to "the rules"

Last week I went to this site: http://www.fabricmart.com/
Ok, I got sucked into the clearance area here. One of the lovely ladies from my local sewing guild forwarded an email about some superduper sale.
I found this:

That's crushed velour - sapphire blue. For a DOLLAR a yard. YO! A DOLLAR!

Uh oh, remember rule #1? I got very quickly sucked into the appeal of dollar a yard fabric. I trampled all over rule #1 and 12 yards of variously colored crushed velour is on it's way to my house. I have no idea what this stuff feels like, so I can't say I love it. But yo, a dollar? What's a (Jewish) girl to do?
Um, so, I, um, bought some. In several colors actually. If you have any ideas what to do with it, I'm all ears. And I will probably be willing to share.

I totally just busted rule #1 (don't buy stuff just because it's on sale) BUT - I can still redeem myself! I can't apply rule #3 (buy for a project) because I have no idea what I would make with this stuff. So that leaves me with rule #2. If something comes in the stash, something must come out. SO, when this stuff arrives, I have a decision to make. Either decide I don't love it enough to be "stashworthy" and just give it away, or keep it and give away some other fabrics from my stash.

For a buck a yard, I am cool with this plan.

Either way, to manage the stash, I am going to have to give away some fabric. Either to a friend who's daughter is learning to sew, to a lady who sews her heart out making doggy blankets and beds for rescue animals, or to another sewing friend who doesn't have the same stash rules as me. Regardless, I get to give something away and that always feels good! It's an inexpensive experiment to check out a different kind of fabric, and a new fabric supplier. I'll post about this stuff when it comes in and let you know what happens to it.

Which brings me to me NEXT purchase.
(See, I told you I might be a little bit of an addict)
Whipstitch Fabrics sent me a 10% off coupon. Uh oh. I may have stash rules but I CANNOT RESIST this store.

I bought some more fabric online.

First up are 3 home dec fabrics from the Innocent Crush line by Anna Maria Horner. Check 'em out:

GORGEOUS! Totally rule #1.

These all are justified under rule #3. These home dec fabrics are going to be sewn into bags to give away as gifts. Won't they be lovely as Frenchy Bags?

These next couple fabrics are velveteen, also part of that same Innocent Crush line.

And this pretty cotton lawn by Alexander Henry.

I totally applied rule #1 to these. What lovely fabrics! Rule #3 does not apply because I really have no idea what I will do with them. BUT - hello rule #2! I am making the cover skirt from the book Sew Serendipity, which is using THREE fabrics chosen from my current stash. That means under rule #2 I am allowing myself to replace them with three pretty fabrics back to my stash. I only bought a yard of each of these 3, so I *may* buy more of each later. We'll see.

And last, but not least, I bought two knit fabrics to make tops for myself. I have a simple pattern to follow and these fabrics should coordinate with the skirts I just mentioned in the works from the Sew Serendipity book. These fabrics most solidly fall under rule #3. Planned projects that will not just become part of the stash.

Now, the problem I have with applying rule #3 to the purchase of these fabrics, is that I really can't HONESTLY apply it again in the very short term. I mean, with bags and tops all planned on my project list, it's tough for me to justify buying more fabric for immediate projects - because I already have too many projects planned. Rule #3 is now "on a break".

But that's the beauty of rule #2. I can still buy fabric, if I am willing to part with another. This keeps my stash fresh with beautiful fabrics that I love, will help me be (eh somewhat) responsible with my cash and storage space that I won't just go buy a bunch of fabrics that won't be used, and fabrics that might otherwise sit and not be used will have a new purpose in the hands of someone who appreciate them and will use them.

Ok - am I just kidding myself? Maybe. But this system, so far, seems to work for me.

Just don't send me a coupon.

Later skaters,

Janimal

P.S.

Seriously - what should I do with the crushed velour?

My Rules For Buying Fabric - Managing a Stash

I think I may be a fabric-oholic. That doesn't want to be in recovery! But I do need to MANAGE my addiction. It would be waaay easy to let my stash get out of control. I do NOT need to appear on the show "Hoarders" people.

((I found some awesome pics of ORGANIZED fabric stashes at THIS VINTAGE POST over on Domestic Diva))

So I recently came up with a few simple rules to keep my fabric stash under control. Pretty much all fabrics *should* follow rule #1, and then must follow either rule #2 or rule #3.

1) Don't buy something just because it's on sale.

By all means I am going to peruse the bargain sections of the stores I frequent. But when I am tempted to buy a bunch of stuff just because it is a great deal -- I must STOP! and think. I look at the regular price. If I wouldn't be willing to spend that amount on it, I shouldn't buy it just because it is cheap now. It's sometimes so tempting to grab something and think, "Oh that's sorta cute and wow just $1.50 a yard I can buy a ton of it!" -- because if I don't LOVE it, chances are it will just take up space in my sewing room, never to be used, and not especially admired. I'd rather save that few bucks from the clearance stuff and be willing to pay a little extra for a fabric I drool to play with.

2) Only buy something for the stash, if something else comes OUT of the stash.

I am a lucky gal that I have a room, all of my own, in our house, that is MY SEWING ROOM. It's a small room, and despite it's usual disarray, I relax just walking in the door. Anyway, I have a nice bit of space to store my fabric. But it would be alarmingly easy to let the fabric stash just take over. So - if I want to buy something to add to the stash, a different fabric has to come OUT of the stash. That means either A) make something with something or B) give some fabric away.

Fabrics in my stash that I probably won't give away:

Heather Ross Far Far Away. I WILL make something from this one day!

Let's Enjoy Britain by Kokka (heck pretty much any Kokka fabrics you would have to wretch from my poor withered hands on my deathbed to get it away from me.)

Michael Miller Tweet. Too cute.

Liberty of London Cotton Lawn "Yoshie" - Fabric to swoon over.

(The above fabrics were purchased from SomeArtFabric, Whipstitch Fabrics, and Purl Soho. All fabric purveyors worth getting to know, y'all.)

3) Only buy something if you have plans to make something with it right away.

This is how I cheat myself on rule #2. If the fabric I buy is used right away, then it never becomes part of the "stash" and therefore, doesn't need something to come out in order to come home with me! But I have to be honest about this. If I am invoking rule #3, it really does have to be used right away to make an actual project I have planned.

So there you go - the rules! I made TWO fabric purchases last week using the rules, and my next post will be about how I applied them to manage my stash.

Any of you have rules for fabric stashing? I would love to hear them.

Later skaters,

Janimal

http://todayscreativeblog.net/get-your-craft-on-29/